There were more than 90 booths set up in the Baker Center ballroom, representing a variety of potential employers from across the country, as Ohio University’s Career and Leadership Development Center hosted the biannual Career and Internship Fair on Sept. 26.

The companies in attendance covered a wide array of occupations, from civil engineering to public education and even aviation. It’s admittedly a bit intimidating at first, between the formal atmosphere and dedicated competition, but the career fair is well worth attending for the unique career options and potential for discovering a long-term career opportunity. In addition, the company representatives behind the booths were entirely welcoming and amicable. I spoke with a couple about their past career fair experiences, as well as the opportunities that their businesses have to offer.

Bellisio Foods a frozen foods manufacturer located in Jackson, Ohio, provided one of the more interesting opportunities at the fair. One of its representatives was Colin Rice ’12, a safety manager who had no business background coming out of college. Rice, an Army veteran, studied history and anthropology at Ohio University, then spent a year studying business in Beijing, China. He returned home seeking employment; at Bellisio, he found it in the unlikeliest of places.

“Don’t worry about your background. It’s about you as a person,” he said, as advice to those students stressing about finding a job directly within their major.

At BAE Systems a global defense and security company based in the United Kingdom and holding branches around the United States, I spoke with Tim Coulter about his own experiences at career fairs. It turned out that this was his first experience as a representative, but remembers attending the fairs during his own college days. Being an Ohioan himself, Coulter attended Ohio Northern University as an engineer, and got his start at BAE Systems through the contacts he made at a university career fair. He stressed the importance of actively seeking out potential employers in order to find the right career fit.

Rest assured: if you’ve been on the fence about taking that intimidating leap toward an internship or post-college career opportunity, there’s always time to take the initiative. Make sure to take advantage of the next Career & Internship Fair – coming up on Feb. 13, 2019.